By Mekonnen Teshome
Addis Ababa (December 2021): A virtual meeting focusing on a campaign known as One Health has hailed Ethiopia’s successful use of mobile phone-based applications for disease surveillance and control in the country.
The science café, facilitated by The One Health Research, Education and Outreach Centre in Africa (OHRECA) showcased how the use of mobile phone applications in the country had supported food markets which in return reduced crowding hence keeping COVID-19 transmission at bay. It also helped to improve food safety.
According to the head of OHRECA, Dr Benard Bett, the organization had carried out mobile-phone based training for Ugandan meat inspectors in preparation for enhanced syndromic surveillance roll-out in collaboration with BUILD Uganda and the University of Liverpool.
The cafe dubbed “One Health” also heard that new knowledge on the impacts of climate and land use change on zoonotic diseases occurrence being used for contingency planning.
“OHRECA is currently leading studies on Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever in Burkina Faso and Rift Valley fever in Kenya to identify drivers,” said Dr Bett.
The café took place last week. It brought together experts across different sectors who shared information on the campaign with an aim to build partnerships in the One Health space in Africa.
Among the thematic issues discussed during the science café included antimicrobial resistance, zoonoses, emerging infectious diseases, food safety and security and Environmental aspects of One Health.
Discussions emphasized on the frameworks which aim to foster the health of humans, animals and their shared environment and transdisciplinary collaboration in the sector.
The experts also explored the One Health research landscape in Africa, frameworks that can guide gender research and how to integrate gender in disease prevention and control programs for better outcomes at the human-animal-environment interface. Working under the auspices of International Livestock Research Institute, Pertinent bodies, the experts also gave details on how One Health recommendations have been adopted in the animal, human and environment sectors.
The meeting was attended by journalists from over 10 African countries who urged ILRI to organize additional exposure science cafes on the One Health Campaign as it was hardly understood well by the media.
Dr Bett added that, research has proved that health investments accelerate economic development and reduce social inequities. He noted that the organization aims at achieving improved efficiency and effectiveness of One Health platforms.
He cited the case where genomic analyses of SARS-CoV-2 at ILRI has boosted the capacity of COVID surveillance in Kenya.
“Up to now, a total of 24,398 samples have been tested and results shared with the Ministry of Health. 1165 SARS-CoV-1 genomes have been sequenced,” added Bett.
The lab is part of a network of facilities in the country that support COVID-19 genomic surveillance in the country. The genomics lab has received an additional funding of USD$1m from the Rockefeller Foundation to support genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the eastern Africa region.
Dr Athman Mwatondo who works for Kenya’s Ministry of Health, noted that the country, in an effort to entrench One Health had formed the The Zoonotic Disease Unit in 2012.
“To establish and maintain active collaboration at the animal, human, and ecosystem interface towards better prevention and control of zoonotic diseases, is the mission of the Unit,” he said.
He added that the government had put One Health in action by performing outbreak investigation and response for Rift Valley Fever, anthrax and rabies as well spearheaded elimination of rabies and created sustainable devolved (county level) One Health platforms.
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